MyAlbum

Ralf Topeters
Hi Neil. I'm working on the same kit right now. Now that I saw yours I recognized all the errors I made. I glued the mufflers upside down. 😄 😄 😄 I already had one of the gas tanks glued wrong and it was already uncorrectable. I want to make it in a snow environment. Sadly my vinylchains are really ugly so I have to put it on halt to reconsider! Much greetings!!! 👍

Neil Patrick
Greetings to you too Ralf! I didn't worry about many weaknesses with this kit - the wheels and tracks are especially poor and the fuel tanks are too small and in the wrong position, to name a few. I just did some small improvements and am content to leave the rest alone to preserve its 'Matchboxness'! I think these kits have their own unique charm which is a relief from the rivet counting we all suffer from to a greater or lesser extent. I'm planning a few more and enjoyed seeing yours. Good luck and happy kitbashing!

Rui S
Well said Neil 👍

Neil Patrick
Thanks Rui. Along the way of my modelling life I forgot that this was all supposed to be fun. There's a spectrum I think with pinpoint scale accuracy at one end and the conveyance of ideas and stories at the other. I just moved a bit back towards the latter. Spencer Pollard got me thinking about this with his Legacy book and his tributes to Francois Verlinden and all those 1970s Tamiya kits so many of us fell in love with.

thekitbox.org/2021/07/16/the-legacy/

Rui S
I will have to check it.

IMHO, I think that we have to combine and balance things: Fun; Nice Storys; Accuracy or Rigor enough for ourselves and see what we can do better and like more.
If others like what we manage to do, that's great if not, the most important is that you like what you do and see that learning curve that comes with practice and shared opinions here.

I'm mostly on WWII, so I search a bit historic accuracy, but I'm not at all a rivet counter. It would be impossible to me to be that.

So, I just try to do my best, with the means that I have and with that, receive the best comments from my felow mates, if possible.

Here, and only here, I always participate and comment (even if with short words), other mates work, because I know the great efect that mates comments have on my work. It motivates me to do as said and my mojo to start a new one or finish an old one. I think without Scalemates I would have half the dios I have and probably not as good.

I also always, respond to a comment I receive and mostly, I reply independently.

That's what I like here in scalemates, Sharing.

But I know, not all do this.

That's live 😉

Neil Patrick
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Rui. I agree with you. Although I'm new here, I have found people to be very encouraging as I try to improve. And like you it motivates me to push through especially when things aren't going as well as I'd like. Until I came here I never photographed any of my work let alone put it online. I have discovered that photographing things as I progress helps me spot things which need fixing, which I don't always spot at my bench. BTW I think your Marder diorama is magnificent and I'm looking forward to see what you do next...

Rui S
Neil, just like you, before Scalemates, my kits photos, were only In my hard disks. And yes, I also use and look to photos to see how the job is being done. Photos Don't lie, unless
if they are manipulated 🙂

Dark Master
nice small scale work !

Neil Patrick
Thank you mate. Almost done now! That's both the model and my eyesight!

Neil Patrick
Now I'm finished up with this more or less, I thought I'd share some reflections.
1. I really enjoyed this build. Accepting the kits inaccuracies and limitations was liberating.
2. Because of point one and the kit's simplicity, the build was fast and trouble free, providing a satisfaction I don't get from builds which drag on for months and years.
3. I tried to use a painting style which suggested the cold bleak environment of eastern Europe in autumn/winter. This meant doing the opposite of what some call the Spanish school of painting which features bright saturated colours and strong tonal contrasts. So I deliberately picked colours and tones which were desaturated.
None of these things are fashionable I know. But I learned a bit along they way.
Last but not least, big thanks to everyone who liked and commented - you kept me going guys!

Chan Li
TechnicalIy I like your diorama, and more to the point the matchbox kits really packed up my childhood memories in the box, just like it's name. I wasn't a modeler when I was a kid and probably ruined all of them at last but the happiness they brought to me is still fresh in my memory.

Guy Rump
Really like it, great build Neil, takes me back a number of years! 🙂 👍

Neil Patrick
Yes exactly Chan. Happiness is the best reason for building models. The Matchbox diorama in a box idea deserves to be resurrected by someone. It's a kind of magic!

Neil Patrick
Thank you Guy. Yes, this one waited patiently for over forty years to have its moment! Now I suddenly feel in a hurry before I can't do this anymore!

Łukasz Gliński
That's a cool one, isn't it? 🙂

Neil Patrick
It's OOB like your Tiffie Lukasz. Or it is if we define OOB as without any aftermarket. I know it's got some less than accurate features, but I think it's fun to take a box of 1970's plastic and just see what we can do with it...

Simon Nagorsnik
Very convincing dust finish, you really succeeded👏
Fits very well in the environment.

Roy McKay
Everyone is making little gems out if these armour kits. Great work Neil!

Neil Patrick
Thank you Simon and Roy. Yes Matchbox kits seem to have become a little trend lately. I began by accident last year when clearing out the attic and like many people thought they might be an antidote to the growing pile of half-completed super detailed builds on my shelf. I just wondered what they might look like with current techniques applied instead of 1970's style brush painting. Now I can't get enough of them!

Jan Peters
Nice build of this classic 👍🏻
I hear you, I have a lot more fun building the old matchbox Humber for the groupbuild, than I have building the super detailed Eduard Mig 21 kits that are stille staring at me from the bench. It is quite refreshing knocking these oldies together, without bothering about details and after market goodies, Just like when we started with this hobby, sheer fun.

Neil Patrick
Thank you Jan. I totally agree with you. I find it very liberating. Not worrying about doing an Uberkit justice and messing up an expensive kit. Mind you lately the original Matchbox boxings are getting quite pricey. Thankfully the Revell repops have brand new decals if not quite the same nostalgia thrill.